There are times when an older movie feels like it could have been made yesterday. 1989's Do the Right Thing -- one of Spike Lee's very first films -- is just such an offering. Based in the racially-mixed Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn during one hot summer day and night, Do the Right Thing is ostensibly about a group of black people (children, teens, and adults) and their daily experiences, particularly through the lens of a white-owned pizzeria that sticks out like a sore thumb in an era of simmering racial tensions. But underneath the surface, this Spike Lee Joint is about so much more than just that. It's about police brutality, gentrification, crime, differing generational views, work and joblessness, and on and on. Yes, this movie was made in '89... but for better or for worse, it feels like it could have been crafted specifically for right this very minute. So let's talk about it.



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